Breaking the mold
New Malibu listings, Chelsea, a delicious mat, Dodgers tix, Delta One Lounge, best new North American hotels, hushed hybrid, MORE
RESTAURANTS • First Word
Chelsea evening
The Skinny: Opened in May, Chelsea has brought a slice of London to the heart of Wilshire Avenue in Santa Monica. Father-and-son duo Moez Megji and Karim Megji created a stylish spot that serves a menu drawing flavors from India, East Africa, and beyond.
The Vibe: Inspired by the posh London neighborhood of the same name, Chelsea features spacious blue velvet booths, tasseled pink pendants, silky curtains, and lively patterns. The back-lit bar is the focal point of the restaurant. After a few visits, expect the waiters and bartenders to remember your order, and for Moez Megji to make his nightly rounds to greet each table. Becoming a regular here shouldn’t prove too hard.
The Drinks: No drink will suit the ambiance here more than a dirty gin martini with blue cheese olives. A classic London cocktail — like a cucumber gimlet or a simple gin and tonic — would also do the trick. Signature concoctions include the American Samurai, made with olive oil-washed vodka, and the Earl Grey-infused Early Fog.
The Food: The lobster sliders feature a crispy schnitzel-style lobster between a sweet Hawaiian roll, resulting in a beautiful combo of flavors. The corn ravioli in a green curry sauce is also a good choice. During happy hour, there are house-made potato chips, tuna tacos, and tangy, savory kimchi grilled cheese. For the main course, opt for the grilled octopus with cilantro taters.
The Verdict: The Cheers of Santa Monica has arrived — with a British accent. –Allie Lebos
→ Chelsea (Santa Monica) • 2460 Wilshire Blvd • Kitchen: Tues-Thurs 4-10p, Fri-Sat 4-1030p, Sun 4-9p • Reserve.
LA RESTAURANT LINKS: Quite the backstory at new WeHo caviar lounge Puzzle • Modern French bistro Tesse closing in WeHo after six years • More on why Locol team is returning to fine dining • Paso Robles looks to Bordeaux for sustainability insights • How Sam Kaplan’s Memento Mori wines became a Napa Valley sensation.
REAL ESTATE • First Mover
Three fresh listings that have come to market in Malibu in the past two weeks:
→ 3065 S Foose Rd (Malibu) • 4BR/4BA, 2200 SF • Ask: $2.295M • compact house with guest house and direct ocean views • Days on market: 13 • Agent: Janice Leonard, Pinnacle Estate Properties.
→ 30751 La Brisa Dr (Malibu West) • 5BR/3BA, 2501 SF • Ask: $3.695M • single-story midcentury in cul-de-sac • Days on market: 7 • Agents: Russell Grether and Tony Mark, Compass.
→ 2514 Cayman Rd (Malibu, above) • 3BR/3BA, N/A SF • Ask: $9.2M • ‘Aviator,’ dazzling modernist home by Apel Design with ocean views • Days on market: 7 • Agent: Heather Bell, The Agency.
WORK • Thursday Routine
Gelée roll
ZOE MESSINGER • Founder • Gelée
Neighborhood you live in: Crescent Heights / Chelsea
It’s Thursday morning. What’s the scene at your workplace?
After waking up, getting sunlight, and walking my dog Giorgi, I'll take an infrared sauna (if I'm lucky) before diving into my jelly startup, Gelée. My morning ritual is to make ceremonial matcha and pair it with whatever’s inspiring me — lately, it’s a Honeycrisp apple, a spoon of Coconut Cult, and some Gelée. I like trying single-cultivar matcha from different regions of Japan. I find matcha grounding and medicinal. I try not to dive into work right away; otherwise I end up floating in another dimension.
What’s on the agenda for today?
A mix of logistics and play. I'm finalizing the dielines on custom jelly molds and playing with recipes that incorporate Gelée, such as a jelly noodles, guava, and tahini brioche, and also, a tropical egg cream. It’s expansive to build a business that's experimental — I'm launching a CPG, but also going gourmand). Gelée is a canvas for expression and play.
Any restaurant plans today, tonight, this weekend?
I've been spending my time between NY and LA. Right now I’m in NY for work, where I’m often making and sipping bone broth, juicing, and searching for delight. Recent love affairs include Txikito, EN Brasserie, abcV, Libertine, Deluxe Food Market in Chinatown, and King.
In LA, I’m usually at the Santa Monica or Hollywood Farmers’ Market, curating and cooking for anyone that will show up at my door. And Sqirl!
How about a little leisure or culture?
I went to the Feist show for her new album Multitudes and haven't stopped thinking about it. Her performance left me awestruck — listening and dissecting her lyrics for weeks after.
What was your last great vacation?
In September I went to Venice, Italy, where I floated an entire aperitivo in Gelée at The Gritti Palace. It was an event for Venice Glass week of the Biennale. I even got to cook in the same kitchen as Stanley Tucci. I came alive in the Rialto market. The figs were bursting, and the silver sardines looked like jewels plucked from the lagoon.
What’s a recent big-ticket purchase you love?
My gemstone PEMF infrared mat from Cap Beauty. It’s lined with tourmaline, amethyst, and jade. It’s delicious.
What store or service do you always recommend?
Cookbook Market, Honest Rituals, and anything mystical that presents itself.
CULTURE & LEISURE • Stories from the City
Padres v Dodgers • NLDS game 5 • Dodger Stadium (Elysian Park) • Fri @ 508p • section 26, $520 per
Eric Clapton • Hollywood Bowl (Hollywood) • Sat @ 730p • terrace 6, $521 per
An Evening With PJ Harvey • Greek Theater (Los Feliz) • Mon @ 8p • section A, $457 per
GETAWAYS • Airports
Today is opening day for the new Delta One Lounge at LAX’s Terminal 3. The 10,000-square-foot space is the world’s second Delta One Lounge, the first having opened at JFK’s Terminal 4 earlier this year. Ease of access is part of the sell here: the new lounge connects by elevator to the separate Delta One check-in area that opened last year, and includes a semi-private security checkpoint. Additional highlights of the new luxe LA outpost:
The long Icon Bar (above) sits at the center of the space, and is connected to a separate dining room. Dining options can be ordered from every seat in the lounge and also include a sushi bar (an LAX exclusive) as well as bento boxes for a faster dining experience.
A wellness room includes eight private relaxation pods with zero-gravity and full-body massage chairs.
An outdoor terrace overlooks LAX’s scenic runways with seating for 26.
Perhaps most notable about the Delta One Lounge experience: the tight access rules. No mere Amex-holding hoi polloi will get the nod here. Instead, passengers must be ticketed same-day on Delta One, or have select premium transcontinental tickets. The LAX access game has been upped.
GETAWAYS LINKS: Long-awaited new hotel Thompson Palm Springs now open • Big Santa Anita Canyon welcomes back hikers • Big Sur stretch of Highway 1 reopens tomorrow • Sequoia High Sierra Camp on the market for $5.35M • Amex closing all spas across Centurion Lounge network • At posh hotels, the rise of the robot massage.
WORK • Office Report
RTOver?
Amazon’s call for employees to return to the office five days a week continues to ripple:
In the wake of Amazon CEO Andy Jassy’s memo, other big tech companies were forced to react. Microsoft and Google execs said those companies wouldn’t force employees back unless (cue minor-key soundtrack) productivity slows.
Amazon employees are not happy! A survey of 2,500 Amazon workers found that 91% are dissatisfied with the move and 73% are looking for a new job as a result. (N.B. FOUND is looking for good freelance sales people.)
In defense of Amazon’s policy, insiders said it was necessary to defend the company’s can-do corporate culture (previously defined by debilitatingly long hours in the office).
Meanwhile, the NYT says return-to-office has expired as a topic of interest because it is no longer interested:
[O]ver the summer, the phrase seemed to disappear: Its three-letter abbreviation appeared in The New York Times only four times from June 1 to Sept. 30. The words ‘return to office’ appeared only five times in the context of employers, employees and workplaces over those four months.
A novel theory! But maybe, splashy corporate memos and waning media trends aside, the RTO noise actually quieted down because employees unceremoniously took the issue into their own hands, pursuing a “hushed hybrid” approach in which they find a way to work flexibly even in the face of stricter mandates. Brace for more memos. –Josh Albertson
LA WORK AND PLAY LINKS: Cheese Store of Beverly Hills plans expansion in Westlake Village food hall • Cannabis cafes are now legal in California • Strong lineup for this weekend’s LA Comic Con • Napa’s Duckhorn Portfolio of wineries sold to Butterfly Equity • Do corporate art collections have a point? • Meet the HENRYs — high earners, not rich yet • Does anyone actually retire these days?
GETAWAYS • The Nines
New hotels worth the trip*
Today’s Nines are courtesy our friends at Way to Go, the excellent weekly travel newsletter by the discerning founders of Fathom. You should subscribe to Way to Go for many reasons, chief among them its obsessive commitment to surfacing great hotels. (BONUS: 25% off for FOUND readers!)
Todos Santos Boutique Hotel (Todos Santos), sexy 10-key with elaborate F+B, $772
SHA Mexico (Yucatán), innovative medi/emo/wellness spa, $2052 (4-night program, 2 ppl)
Maroma (Riviera Maya), jungle meets beach resort, $1899
Silvestre Nosara (Costa Rica), bougie-boho surfer heaven, $947
The Ranch Hudson Valley (Sloatsburg, NY), for quick hike-based resets, $2291 (4-night program, 2 ppl)
The Weston (Vermont), big-time luxe, small town charm, $550
The Dunlin (Johns Island, SC), Lowcountry cottage core, $1169
Hotel Bardo (Savannah), historic mansion turned Italian-y clubhouse, $595
The Potlatch Club (Bahamas), Eleuthera gem on beachfront acres, $475 (3-night minimum)
*US, Caribbean, Mexico. All rooms November rates one night.
LOST & FOUND • Behind the Paywall
Dispatches from the frontline, from FOUND subscribers, for FOUND subscribers:
→ A handful of favorite restaurants from new subscribers: Botanica (Silver Lake) • Majordomo (Chinatown) • Jade (Beverly Hills) • Electric Owl (WeHo) • Violet (Westwood).
ASK FOUND
FOUND subscriber PROMPTS for which we’re seeking intel:
Which new restaurants have wowed you this dining this fall?
What’s your favorite bookstore in Los Angeles?
Which spa are you booking to escape the chaos of the season?
Got answers or more questions? Hit reply or email found@itsfoundla.com.